In 2003 I was on a mission trip in Brazil with my dad, Pastor Larry Raftery, missionary Jack Harris, and my good friend Kevin Delahunty. We had ministered in the slums there, witnessing the terrible living conditions and limited opportunity for the people within those communities. As we drove by the slums again on our way to airport to leave Brazil, I looked out of the car window and saw a boy on one of the rooftops. He was sitting on a bicycle that only had a back wheel; the front forks of the bike were set upon a plastic crate. He was sitting stationary on that bike, on top of a broken-down house, a slum home. But he was a million miles away from there in his mind. Apparently, no one had told him how life had to be yet. He still had a dream; he still had imagination.

That's when I knew I wanted to start a ministry someday to help people realize their dreams. And that's where Lisa and I came up with our ministry name and mission:

LifeRaft: rescuing and furthering the dreams of everyday people